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N. Lalitha Bhanu

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N. Lalitha Bhanu
Carnatic vocalist
Carnatic vocalist
Background information
Birth nameNarayana Bhagavathar Lalitha
Born(1931-08-19)19 August 1931
Thiruvananthapuram
Died20 August 2020(2020-08-20) (aged 89)
Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
GenresFilm music (playback singing), Indian classical music
OccupationSinger
InstrumentVocalist
Years active1950–1997

Lalitha Bhanu was a Carnatic singer. She has also sung a few songs for Malayalam and Tamil films as a playback singer.[1]

Early life

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Lalitha was born at Trivandrum, Kerala, as the daughter of Narayana Bhagavathar and Parvathy ammal on 19 August 1931.
Her father, Narayana Bhagavathar was a violinist and one of the three Trivandrum Brothers. The brothers were Asthana Vidwans (in-house musicians) at the Royal Palace of Trivandrum. She learnt her initial lessons from K. R. Kumaraswamy. Afterwards she joined the Swati Tirunal College of Music, Thiruvananthapuram. Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer was the principal of this college. She received training directly from him. When the family moved from Trivandrum to Madras (now Chennai), Srinivasa Iyer directed her to Musiri Subramania Iyer. She learned many Kritis for about 8 years from Musiri Subramania Iyer. Musiri even made Lalitha sing all the varnams in his own style, thereby imbibing in her the “Musiri bhani”. She learnt many kritis from Papanasam Sivan,[2]

Music career

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Her first public concert was staged at Mavelikkara (Kerala). She was an artiste in All India Radio and sang for almost 50 years at various radio stations of the AIR including Pondichery and Chennai. She had performed at the Tyagaraja Aradhana.

Playback singer

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Lalitha had sung in a few Malayalam and Tamil films as a playback singer. She began her film career with Ponkathir, a Malayalam language film released in 1953. The traditional song "Anjana Sreedhara" was a hit.[3] When this film was made in Tamil with the title Irulukkuppin she sang for that too. She has sung under several music directors including Br Lakshmanan, V. Dakshinamoorthy, G. Ramanathan, Ghantasala, Pendyala Nageshwara Rao and C. N. Pandurangan.

List of film songs

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Year Film Language Song Lyrics Music Co-Singers
1950 Ponmudi Tamil Vaanam Kumuruthamma G. Ramanathan U. R. Chandra
1950 Manthiri Kumari Tamil O Raja O Rani G. Ramanathan P. Leela & U. R. Chandra
1950 Chandrika Tamil Malar Ser Manimaalai P. Bhaskaran V. Dakshinamoorthy
1950 Chandrika Malayalam Choriyuka Madhumaari Nilaave P. Bhaskaran V. Dakshinamoorthy
1952 Amma Tamil Anaivarum Varuveer Chidambaram Varadarajan V. Dakshinamoorthy
Varuga Varuga Yen Sodharikarl
1952 Dharma Devatha Telugu Sukhamu Chilikinchu Aanandakiraname C. R. Subburaman
Chinduleyavoyi Chinna Krishnayya Samudrala Sr. B. N. Rao & Jikki
1952 Dharma Devathai Tamil Aananda Leelai Tharum Thanjai N. Ramaiah Dass C. R. Subburaman
Anbaai Odi Vaadaa C. R. Subburaman & Jikki
1952 En Thangai Tamil Meelaa Thuyaraamo...Kangal Irandum Narasimhan C. N. Pandurangan
Naalukku Naal Paarkira Podhe A. Maruthakasi
1953 Petrathai Tamil Penmani Nalla Kanmani M. S. Subramaniam Pendyala Nageshwara Rao Ghantasala
1953 Ponkathir Malayalam Anjana Sreedharaa Traditional Br Lakshmanan
Aanandavaasam Amaravilaasam Thirunainar Kurichi Madhavan Nair
Pranayamohana Swapnam Gokulapalan
Sukhame Sukhame Kamukara Purushothaman & Kaviyoor C. K. Revamma
Paarirulmoodi Paathayaake
Ullaasam Ulakellam Mehboob & Kaviyoor C. K. Revamma
1954 Avakasi Malayalam Manoharamithaha Thirunainar Kurichi Madhavan Nair Br Lakshmanan
En Jeevitha Sukhamaya Kamukara Purushothaman
Kaliyodamithil Kamukara Purushothaman
Vava En Deva Kamukara Purushothaman
Tharani Thanga Nilave
1954 Irulukkup Pin Tamil Anjana Sreedharaa Nagai Mani Br Lakshmanan
Aananda Vasam Amara Vilasam
Mathura Mohana Inba Ninaivaal Kamukara Purushothaman
Sugame Sugam Sorkka Sugame Kamukara Purushothaman & Kaviyoor C. K. Revamma
Kaarirul Moodi
Ullasam Ulagellam Uyirum Mehboob & Kaviyoor C. K. Revamma
Paadu Mohanamai Padu
Vandaadum Poovea Malarsolai
1954 Chandraharam Tamil Laali Jaya Laali Thanjai N. Ramaiah Dass Ghantasala
1954 Chandraharam Telugu Laali Jaya Laali Pingali Nagendra Rao Ghantasala
1954 Avan Yaar Tamil En Jeevitha Sukam Kambadasan Br Lakshmanan Kamukara Purushothaman
Manoharam Idhaahaa
1954 Viduthalai Tamil Abalai Naan Thayanithiye Velavan Lakshman Raghunath
1952 Kalam Marunnu Malayalam Ohoy Thathinanthanam O. N. V. Kurup G. Devarajan & Br Lakshmanan K. S. George, K. Sulochana, P. Leela & Lekshmi
Ambili Muthachan P. Leela & Lekshmi
1955 Harishchandra Malayalam Kaattumulle Naanam Kaatteedalle Thirunainar Kurichi Madhavan Nair Br Lakshmanan C. S. Radha Devi
1956 Avar Unarunnu Malayalam Paloli Poonila Pala Narayanan Nair V. Dakshinamoorthy L. P. R. Varma
Puthughivitha Ha Kamitam Kamukara Purushothaman

List of Carnatic songs

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All these songs are available on YouTube.

No. Kriti Ragam Composer
1 Elakudhaya Sankarabharanam Pallavi Duraiswami Iyer
2 Rama rama gunaseema Simhendra madhyamam Swathi Thirunal
3 Ma Janaki Kambhoji Saint Thyagaraja
4 Marivere Dikkevarayaa Shanmugapriya Patnam Subramanya Iyer
5 Namoralakimpavemi Devagandhari Saint Thyagaraja
6 Sarasijanapasodhari Naagagandhari Muthuswami Dikshithar
7 Kamajanaka Gowlai Swathi Thirunal
8 Parvatharajakumari Sriranjani Muthuswami Dikshithar
9 Jaya Jaya Raghurama Sahana Swathi Thirunal
10 Thaye Dayaipurivaye Ranjani Swarna Venkatesa Dikshithar
11 Smarajanaka Behag Swathi Thirunal

Titles and awards

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Lalitha Bhanu was conferred with the title "Ganabooshanam" and was presented with a Tambura (with an emblem of Swathi Tirunal) by Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer.[1]

Family life

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Lalitha was married to Perumal Bhanu Bharadwaj. They had three children including two daughters and a son, Anand Bhanu Bharadwaj.

Death

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She died on 20 August 2020 at Chennai.[1]

Bibliography

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Tribute to a veteran singer". The Hindu. 11 September 2020. Archived from the original on 14 June 2021.
  2. ^ "Of a different era". The Hindu. 10 April 2009. Archived from the original on 14 June 2021. K. R. Kedarnath and T. M. Thiagarajan as well.
  3. ^ "List of Malayalam Songs sung by Ganabhooshanam N Lalitha". Archived from the original on 14 June 2021.
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